Thread-controlling mechanism for overseaming-machines.



L. ONDERDONK. THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR OVERSEAMINC MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT r15 I913- r| E E H A s T E E H 5 4 T w I 1 h w EV I N Qk mm. 9w w wk mfi M l M Q N. U w Q. a w o B h $6 &w h

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THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR OVERSEAMING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. I913.

1,232,381 Patented July 3, 1917.

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L. ONDERDONK. THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR OVERSEAMING MACHINES.

APPLI ATION FILED SEPT 15 l9l3. 1,232,381 Patented July 3, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Swpmloz rm: mmms ran-us co.. PHOTO-MIND WASHING mu 0 c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LANSING ONDEBDONK, or NEW Yonk, N. Y., AssIGNon T U NION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

THnEAn-con'rnomme MECHANISM FOR ovnnsnnmmoavmcnrnnsl i To all whom itmag concern 1 Be it known that I, LANSING ONDEnDoNK, a citizen of the United States, residmg at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Co11-' trolling Mechanism for Overseaming-Machines, of'which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompany-.

ing drawing and to the i figuresof reference marked thereon.

Theinvention relates to new anduseful i 7 thread carryin' looper.

. means for controlling the needlethread sition, regardless of varying thicknesses in the material, so as, to form an over-seaming stitch wherein the purl is uniformly laid. Av further object of the invention is to .provide' an over-seaming machine with a thread controlling mechanism for the under thread carrying looper which operates upon.

'thethread of this looper to take up the thread in proper timed relation to the forma ingof the stitch, also to pull threadfrom 1 the supply for this thread carrying looper.

A still furtherobje'ct of the invention is to rovide an over-seaming machine having ".a t read carrying needle, an under thread carrying looper and an over edge thread car:

rying looper, wherein the thread for each of the stitching implements is separately controlled so that a uniform over edge stitch ma be produced.

hese and other objects Willmill part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter, more fully described. In the drawings, which show by way of illustration, one embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sewing machine embodyingJ my improvements,cer-

tain of the parts eing broken away and shown in section, and also certain of the parts omittediin order to more clearly show the stitch forming elements trolling devices therefor; I

IFig. 2 is a similarview'on an enlarged and the conscale, showing the thread carrying loopers Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 15,1913. Serial No. 789,835.

thickness of the fabric varies;

Patented and the controlling devices-for the threads July 3, 1917..

of these loopers, said loopers being ina difv ferent position from that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a View similar to'Fig. 2, with the thread carrying implements positioned as in Fig, 1;

Fig. 4 is a'view similar to Fig. l on an enlarged'scale, showing theforward end of the machine onlyand the thread carrying loopers positioned as in Fig. 2; I

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing thev position of the loops in the various threads in one form of stitch made by my improved machine; I i

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the thread eye or loop of the auxiliary pull-01f; Fig. 7 is a detail showing the main pull offin its extreme raised position.

The invention consists generally in pro-.

"Viding an over-seaming machine having a needle, an under thread carrying looper and an over edge thread carryinglooper with controlling ldevices forthe needle thread, which operate to position the needle loops in a'p'redetermined relation to the edge ofthe fabric, which controlling mechanismis so construct'ed'that when once adjusted for positioning the needle loops, they will remain in this predetermined position relative to thegedge of thelfabric, 1 even though the words, when the fabric increases in thickness a greater. amount of thread is furnished to the needle ,so'as to supply the precise in.-

crease demanded to still maintain the same position of the needle loops relative. to the edge of the fabric. The invention consists further in providing a controlling mechanism for the under thread carrying looper, which operatesin' timingwith the looper so that the slack thread formed by the movements of the looper may be taken care of, and when the looper dwells, this thread con-, trolling device therefor also dwells.- Said thread. controlling device is also so constructed as to pull back the thread through the eye of the looper and set thefstitch and thus position the looper thread sothat the point of the looper is free to enter the needle loop when said looper advances. This thread controlling device for the under thread carrying looper also takes up any slack in, the looperthread at the BXtreme a In otherv edge carrying looper to be readily'withdrawn from theloop of thread formed by this lower thread carrying looper without straining or chafing the same.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, my improved machine consistsof a bed plate 1, from which rises a standard 2, havingan overhanging arm 3. A needle bar 4 is mounted toreciprocate in the forward end of the overhanging arm and carries a needle 5. The needle bar is reciprocated b a lever 6, which is connected by a link to the needle bar. The needle lever 6 is oscillated on. its fulcrum 8 by a link 8, which cooperates with an eccentric on the main shaft 10. Said needle carries a thread a, which is led from the supply through a suitable ide 11 to a tension 12, and thence toa pull-off 13. This ull-off consists of three spaced fixed threa guides 14:, and movable guides 15 operating between the respective fixed thread guides 14:. The movable thread guides are carried by abracket 16 fastened at 17 to the needle lever. The fixed guides 14 are also carried by abracket which is adjustably secured to the overhanging arm by a screw 18. The needle thread a is led from the pull-off 13 to an auxiliary pull-off and slack thread controller, which consists of thread guides 19, which are spaced from each other and carried by an'a'rm 20 pivoted at 21 to the overhanging arm, and havinga segment gear 22 which meshes with a rack bar 23 fixed to the presser foot bar 24:. This presser foot bar carries the usual presser foot 25 and is held yieldingly against the fabric which in turn holds the same on the work support and cooperates with the feed dog in feeding the material. This auxiliary pull-ofiand thread controller also includes a thread guiding eye or loop 26, which is fixed at 27 to the needle lever, and said thread eye or loop engages the-needle thread between the thread guides 19. The needle -thread a, after leaving the auxiliary pulloff and slack thread controller, passesthrough a stationary "thread guide 28, and thence to an auxiliary tension 29 and finally to the eye of the needle.

Cooperating with the needle beneath the work support is a thread carrying looper 30 which is provided with a looper thread I). By a thread carrying looper throughout the description and claims, I refer to a looper having thread eyes through which a looper *thread passes incontradistinction to a looper having a hook merely engaging the thread and carrying the same. This thread carrying looper 30 is pivoted to swing on a support 32 and is moved back and forth by a link 33, whichv is pivoted at one end to the looper and at the other end to a rock arm 34. .The rock arm 34 is pivoted at 35 to the standard and is connected by a link 86 to the needle lever extension 37.

vor pull thread from the supply.

The link 36, when the looper is at the forward end of its stroke, is substantially in line with the needle lever extension 37, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and, therefore, the looper will be given a dwell at the forward end of its stroke. This looper. operating mechanism, however, forms impart of the present invention.

Also cooperating with the needle and with the lower thread carrying looper 30 is a third thread carryin looper 38, having a looper thread 0. This ooper' is mounted on an arm 39 fixed to a shaft 40, which, in turn, is rocked by a link 41, operated by a crank arm on the forward end of the main shaft 10.

In'the operation of the devices asabove described, the needle passes through the fabric and raises sli ly to throw :out the loop which is contro led by the loo'oer 30, which moves forward to the positionshown in Figs. 2 and 4. The over edge thread carrying looper 38 moves between the looper thread Z: and the bod of the looper, that is, into the loop forme by this looper 30, and also moves to a position above the work support so that the needle on its next descent will pass betweenthe looper thread 0 carried by the looper 38 and the body of the loo er 38,-that is, into the loop of thread ormed by thislooper 38.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing I have shown diagrammatically an over edge stitch encircling the edge of two layers of fabric F. In this view a indicates the loops formed by the needlethread, b the loops formed by the looper 30, and c the loops formed by the looper 38. In this form of stitch, it is desirable that the needle thread loop shall extend through the fabric and then be drawn to the edge of the fabric and maintained in this predetermined position relative to the edge of the fabric, regardless of any varying conditions in the thickness of the fabric, during the crossingof seams or the like.

The above described mechanism for controlling the needle thread accomplishes this uniform laying of the needle loops relative to the edge of the fabric. Starting out, the needle is in its raised position, and the thread eye'or loop 26 is in its raised position. As the needle moves down, slack thread will be given to the needle. The main pull-oil is at this time slightly above the needle thread and ineffective to take up the needle thread As the needle starts downward, it moves between the body of the looper 38 and the thread carried thereby. The needle thread leads from the eye of the needle to the previous stitch, or interlocki of the loops, and, therefore, the needle oop will be led over the looper thread 0, as shown in Fig.2,and should at this time be slack. It is slack, as above noted. A further downward movev ment of the needle causes the point thereof to enter the fabric, and the formin of the needle loop in the" fabric takes up t e slack in the needle thread, and the looper 38 is at the needle. as it finishesthe lower endof its stroke, will draw the loops to assist in setting the stitch.

' On the first upward movement of the needle, the main pull-off gives slack to the needle thread, so that it is entirely slack,

and this assists the needle in throwing out,

its loop for the entrance of the looper30.

The continued upward movement of the needle lever causes the thread loop or eye 26- to engage the needle loop and taken the slack thread given up by the main pu l-ofl'," but it also continues the movement after the main pull-oft becomes idle and pulls a measured amount of'thread through the tension from the supply. The amount of thread pulled through the supply depends upon the distance this thread eyeCor-thread loop moves above the thread guides 19.. As. above described,

the thread guides 19 are carried by an arm 20, the position of whichis determined bythe presser foot. If the thickness of thefab-- ric increases for any reason, the presser foot is raised. This lowers the armQO and the threadwguides 19 so that more thread will be pulled off, and, on the other hand, when the presser foot is returned to normal position, the arm 20 will be raised'and a less amount ofthread pulled off. I have, therefore, rovided in connection with a threethrearfoverseaming machine a needle thread controlling mechanism which pulls off and supplies a measured amount of thread for the needle so that'the needle loops may be carried to one side of the line of stitching as defined by the needle punctures'and maintained in apredetermined position relative to the Tedge of the fabric throughout the entire seam. I While I have described my improved needle thread controlling mechanism as especially adapted for a three-thread overseaming machine, it willbe understood, however, thatfrom certain aspects of the inven-' tion, it may be used in connection with other (mmplemental thread carrying implements,

or a single thread carrying implement, and in any stitch forming mechanism wherein it is desired to carry the needle loop to one side of the line of stitching as defined by the needle punctures, and maintain the needle The main loopsin a predetermined the edge of the fabric.

Theabove descriptionset's forth in detail i V the construction and the mode of operation of the controlling devices for the needle thread. It is well understood that in. the sewing machine art in order to make. stitch position relative to i of uniform character, the threads of the do: I I

vices coiiperating withv the needlemust also,

be properly controlled. The thread control ling mechanism for the looper'thread 6,; that is, the thread carriedby the looper 30,

consists of the following elements I This thread I) is led from the supplythrough a'. thread eye 42 carried by the needle lever extension, and as this thread eye movesback and forth :with the needle lever extension, the thread will be ositively pulled from the supply- From t e thread eye 42 this looper thread passes through a. guide and thence a tension 44.. From the tension44 the thread is led through an eye orguide at the outer endo'f a movable arm 45', which cooperatestwith a fixed thread From the fixed thread guide 46, the thread passes to a second fixed thread guide 46.

guide 47, shown in'dotted'lines in Fig. 2,

and carried by an arm 48 fixed to the bed plate of the machine. 3 From this thread."

guide 47 the thread leads directly 'to the thread eyes in'the looper;

The movable arm- 45 is fastened to the rock arm34which moves the looper 30 into and out of the needle loop. The arm 45 is rigidly attached thereto and moves with this rocker. Said arm moves from aposition rocker, which moves the looper, itwill be apparent that said arm onlymoveswhen the above the thread guide 46, as shown in Fig.

looper is moving, and dwells when the looper dwells, as above described. carrying looper-moves into theneedle loop and to the full forward end of its stroke where, it dwells so as to permit the overedge looper to move between the'looper thread carried by the looperBO andthc body thereof. It is desirable that this looper shall have a relatively short stroke, otherwise a very large needle loop will be pulled,

This thread and this would have to be "taken up in the setting of the stitch. It is, therefore, essen-. tial to providemeans for giving this looper stroke. If the thread controller should conan extended dwell at the forward end of its tinue to move after the looper stops and I during this dwell, then the looper thread of this looper wouldbe taken up, which might result in the breaking of the thread. It is very essential that-this threadcontrolling arm of the looperthreadyb should move in the samertiming as thelooper. The thread guide 46 isgcarried' by a rod 49,.which is adthread taken up by the arm 45 can be varied.

When the looper 30 is retracted from the needle loop and moves away from the position indicated in Fig. 2, considerable slack thread is formed ibetween the eye of: the looper and the previous interlocking of the loops, as this looper thread necessarily ex.- tends around the body of the looper moving over the edge of the tabric, and this looper must move Well over the edge of the fabric in order to clear the pnesser foot, and stitch finger. The thread arm 45 takes up this slack, drawing it back through the eye of the deeper, so that when the 'looper 30 reaches the rear end of its stroke, its thread is substantially taut, and it is at this time that the stitch is being set. I am able, by this thread controlling device, to take practically all of the slack out of the looper thread carried by the looper underneathlthe work support, so that the loops in the thread I) may extend only across the edge of the fabric, as shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, by this drawing of the thread back through the eye of the llooper when the looper moves forward into the needle ioop, there will be no thread to buckle and push the needle loop aside so that the point of the looper cannot 7 get into the same. Then again, the arm 45,

when the looper is at the torward end of its stroke, is slightly below the thread guide 426, and 'this looper thread is taut. Upon the first retracting movement of the looper 30, a little slack is given thereto which prevents chafing or breaking of the looper thread 5 on the looper moving over the work sup port. By adjusting the thread guide46, the tightness of the loops in 'the looper thread I) may the varied.

My machine also embodies means zfor taking care of the slack and supplying threadto the-over-edge thread carrying Flooper. The thread 0 of this looper is led from the supply through a pull-off thread eye 51, and thence through a=tension 52. From the ten- 7 sion 52 the thread passes through a thread eye 53, carried by-an arm 54 adjustably attached to the standard 2 of the machine. The needle lever extension carries an arm 55, which is bent laterally and provided with a. thread eye or loop 56, through which the thread 0 passes on its way to a fixed thread guide 57 and thence to the eyes of the thread carrying looper 38. This thread eye or loop 56 moves from a position substantially underneath the thread eye 53, to a' 0- sition at the right thereof, as shown in ig. 1..v It, therefore, engages the =looper thread and takes up the same on the retracting movement of "the looper and gives free thread to the looper on its forward movement. This movement'of the threadeye or l00p56 oauses'the looper thread 0 to be taken up and properly laid on the a per face of the fabmc. The amount of pul exerted on this 10 r thread a maybe varied by adjusting the racket 54. I

As the thread carried by the under thread carrying loops: is the joining thread between the needle thread and the thread of the overved'ge looper, the control of this thread of the under thread carrying iooper will naturarlly the character of the stitch. This control may bevaried by the IMVG adjustment of the thread arm 45 and the eyelet 4J6. '-By this reiative adjustment of these parts more or less of the thread of the under thread carrying looper can be put into the stitda.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have provided thread-controlizng devices for each of the stitch-forming impdemen'ts in a three-thread overseaming machine which may be so regulated or adjusted as to fully cover the edge of the material and term a purl along said edge of the fabric. When the parts are adjusted, as shown in the drawings, the loops in the looper thread a will be laid on the upper :face of the fabric extending to the edge of the fabric. The needle loop a will pass through the fabric and will lie on the lower face of the :fimbn'c extending to the edge thereof, while the 'loopslb will extend from the upper to the lower face of the fabric only, uniting the 'loops at and c.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the-appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

"1. An over-seaming machine including in combination. a thread carrying needle and complemental stitch "forming mechanism, ineludinga thread carrying *looper cooperat' with said needle, and devices for oontr ling the thread of the thread carrying looper, including an adjustable thread guide, and athread arm cofiperating therewith for taking up thread and giving up thread during the movements of the looper, and means tor moving said thread arm so as to take aup and 'give up thread twice during each complete reciprocation of the looper.

2. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle and complemental stitch forming mechanism, including a thread carrying looper 006perating with said needle, devices cooperatingwith said looper and needle for forming over-seaming stitches, and devices for controlling the thread of the thread carrying looper, including a tension, at take-up. arm between said tension and the looper, a thread guide eofiperating with said arm,

- means for moving said and means for operating said take-up arm to take up the looper thread and pull thread through the tension from the supply, said looper thread being free from the controlling devices between said guide and the looper.

8. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle and complemental stitch forming mechanism, including a thread carrying looper cooperating with said needle, devices cooperating with said looper and needle forforming overseaming stitches, and devices for controlling the thread of the thread carrying looper, including a tension, a take-up arm between said tension and the looper, a thread uide cooperating with said arm, means or operating said thread arm to take up the looper thread and pull thread through the tension from the supply, and devices for supporting said thread guide whereby it may be adjusted to vary the amount of thread taken up, said looper thread being free from the controlling devices between said guide and the looper.

4. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle,jdevices for controlling said needle thread, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, a thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named looper and with the needle above the work support, thread controlling'devices for taking up and giving up thread and pull ing thread from thesupply for said looper cooperating with the needle'above the work support, and thread controlling devices for the thread of the looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, said devices including a movable take-up arm for taking up and giving up thread to the looper, and for pulling thread from the supply. Y 5. An over-seaming machine including? in combination a thread carrying needle, devices for controlling said needlethread, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath thework support, a thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named looper and with-the needle above the work support,- thread controlling devices for taking up and giving up thread and pulling thread from the supply for said looper cooperating with the needle above the work support, and thread controlling devices for the thread of the looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, including a tension, -a thread arm engaging the thread between the tension and the looper, an adjustable thread guide cooperating w1th said thread arm, and

thread arm for takloo-per thread on both the foring up the the rearward stroke of said ward and looper.

6. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, devices for controlling the needle thread, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, means for moving said looper into the needle loop and for giving a dwell thereto at the forward end of its stroke, a thread. carryin looper cooperating with said first name thread carrying looper and with the needle above the work support, and devices for controlling the thread of the looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, including a movable member, and devices for moving'said member in the same timed relation as the looper beneath the work support.

7 An over'seaming machine including in combination a presser foot, a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, a second thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named thread carrying looper and with the needle above the work support, thread controlling devices for the needle thread, including means for supplying to the needle a measured amount of thread, depending upon the thickness of the material beneath'the presser foot, thread controlling devices for taking up and giving thread to the thread carrymg looper beneath the work support.

8. Allover-seaming machine including in combination 'apresser foot, a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath'the work sup port, a second thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named thread carrying looper and with the needle above the work support, thread controlling devices for the needle thread, including means for supply ing to the needle a measured amount of thread, depending upon the thickness" of the material beneath the presser 'foo t, thread controlling devices for taking up and giving thread to the thread carrying looper beneaththe work support, and thread controlling devicesfor taking up and giving thread to the thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle above the work support. v i

9. An over-seaming machine including in combination a presser foot, a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper co'ciperating with the needle beneath the work support, a second thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named thread carrying looper and with the needle above the work support, thread controlling devices for the needle thread, including means for supplyin to the needle a measured amount of three depending upon the thickness of the material beneath the presser foot, thread controlling devices for taking up and giving thread to the thread carrymg looper .beneath'the wenkeupport, said. thread 00ntrolliug devices for the. 00 e1; threadbeneath the work su pert incii ding an arm .moving in timed relation to the loeper, and taking. up threadon both the forward and the rearward movements at said loeper.

10;: Anever-seam-ing machine including in combination a p-resser foot, a thread; carnyjng; needle, a thread carrying looper ccopenatin g. with the needle beneath the work supaport, means for moving said loeper and giving. a dwell th ereto at the forward end 'oafi its: stroke, a. thread. carnying loopeg! ce- .operalting with the first named theead. car- ;r-yin'g leqper and withlthe needle; abcve the WOI k support, and a threadcenteolling device for the ooper beneath the woeksnp port, including 'a! thread Mm. having- :1- dwell when the lojeper dwells, and a tlmead gnide .coiiperatingi with the thread arm whereby said, thread; takes up and sets-the stitch when the loo aer beneath. the work suppeet is retracted. Y 11. cver-scanningE machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, a main pul'l-eflijfor theneedlle three d,.- tension device between the main pull 'ofleand sumflm nd a au i y Pu -9 ers h needle thread, and; devices contrnlled by the thickness qf the material feri determining t e ameeme B1 9 6; e. a auxiliary P ,.a, h; eed; eee yiegf le pe im' iat gi w thsgt xklk'eeleiben ath the Wonk s nn s e een l-1i a c tn l ee the ...er a d takin 41p sa d; fihreai... assist; in: setting the stitch, a threebeeenyme pe fip ti e with saidfimst named thread carrying leoper and wi h hem dle ebio es he week support.

12., A evemseaming; maqhineineluding in cemb'me emie tensed. eer yi e e a maimpullvpfiefier the thread, a; tensicn devicefbetween the, main piu ll ofi and the supply; and an; auxiliary pull-6E for the-zneedle thready and devices controlled by. -the thickness (XE the materialier determiningthe of: thread pulled, 011?- by said auxiliarypull-01f, a thread carrying Ioeperf ceperatin'g with the needlev beneath: the work support; means for controlling the thread of said looper, and for taking up said thread, ta aseist in setting the stitch,

illogica or this patent-maybe obta ned-1m: film. cents" each, by f Wesmngt n.,D-:G.

tween the tension and the needle, a1. thnead .canrying leoper coeperating with, the needle beneath the Work support, a tension. device for: said. leeper thnead, centrclling devices betweensaid tension device and the locpe-r tor taking the-keeper thread, a l-ooper e0- operating with the. first nee-med loeper with the. needle above the work suppoasfi, a tension device fior the lracpei: thread 0t said lioeper ceperating with the needle above the week .suppent, and devices for taking up the thread of the llo'oper cooperating with the needle above the Wonk suippont.

1A. A thJGBWhIQ-aid verseaming machine mendingin combination a needle, a cenpull ofil fer the needle thread, a: varialple pull-0d foe the needle thread tor pulling,- thaead according te the thickness at the marteriahi a-puLl-elf' foe ene oi? the lower threads, a pull-oil 0: the other leoper thread, and an adjustable thread controlling device iorsaidlast. named looper thread. i

15. A 'threedhfiead overseaming machine including in; emnbi-nation a needle, a threadeentrelli-ng device for the needle tlnread, a threaded; lecper coeperating with the. needle beneath the WGil'k support, a pull-0E mechanism i011 said locgierthread, a take-nip op- (In said loopertli-eead, a loopen e0.- ep'erating with the needle above the work support, and with said first named looper, a pnlhofl for said last. named looper, and a take-up for said last named loepertlimead.

In testimony whereocf, I aflix mysignatune, in the presence of two witnesses.

LANSING ennnnnenn,

winning the Gemaeiseimmz of Patents, 

